MPR won't assess Megawati's annual report

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following a series of meetings, all 12 factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) have agreed not to assess the progress report presented by President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the Annual Session in August.

The agreement to drop the assessment plan may reduce the duration of the Annual Session from the scheduled 12 days to only 10.

The deputy chairman of the ad hoc committee for the schedule of the Annual Session, Rully Chairul, Azwar confirmed that the Assembly factions would not make a specific assessment of the President's progress report.

"The assessment will be made by a specific commission that will later give recommendations to the President. This will save time," Rully told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at the Santika Hotel here on Tuesday.

He acknowledged that the decision, which was made on Monday night, was a compromise following strong rejection earlier by the country's largest party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

In previous meetings, the PDI Perjuangan faction was always of the opinion that the President did not have to present a progress report at the Annual Session.

PDI Perjuangan, which is chaired by Megawati, insisted that amendments to the Constitution had removed the authority of the MPR to evaluate the performance of the government.

The faction feared that an evaluation by the Assembly could lead to a presidential ouster.

Lukman Hakim Saifuddin of the United Development Party (PPP) and Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa of Golkar, however, said that the President should deliver a progress report during the Annual Session.

Lukman said that progress reports by the heads of all high state institutions, including the President, to the Assembly were stipulated in an MPR decree.

As long as there has been no revision to the decree, Lukman added, the regulation is still relevant.

PDI Perjuangan accepted the condition after being ensured that the Assembly factions would not transform the progress report into an accountability speech.

Rully of Golkar refuted speculation that the agreement indicated that a backroom deal had been agreed upon by his faction and PDI Perjuangan, saying the agreement was for the benefit of the nation.

"This is not horse-trading between political parties. This is for the benefit of the whole nation," he added.

Commenting on the possibility that the agreement could reduce the duration of the Annual Session, Rully said that the Annual Session could be cut back to 10 days.

He revealed that the first day of the session would hear the progress report of all high state institutions while the second day would hear the views of the 12 factions.

Legislators are scheduled to have commission meetings from Aug. 3 through Aug. 7 and the final draft of recommendations from each commission will be presented on Aug. 8.

"Legislators will make decisions on Aug. 9 while on Aug. 10 there will be the handing over of recommendations to the state institutions," Rully added.

Meanwhile, leaders of the 12 factions continued their meeting on Tuesday to discuss unsolved articles in the constitutional amendments.